Microphone stand



Jan. 24, 1961 J. KILYK MICROPHONE STAND Filed July 23, 1959 FIG.4

FIGS

INVENTOR. JOHN KILYK \...../W PW ATTORNEY United States Patent T My invention relates generally to remote control microphones and more particularly to power operated retractable and cxtendable microphones with a height control located at a distance from the microphone stand.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a remote control microphone which has its elevation, with respect to the one addressing the microphone, controlled by a person at a remote point.

It is a further object of my invention to eliminate the need for the person addressing the microphone to adjust its height. v

A still further object of my invention is to provide a microphone which rapidly and easily is retracted and extended to adjust itself to the height of the person addressing the microphone.

Yet a further object of my invention is to provide a remote control microphone having an improved drive mechanism that is simple, relatively inexpensive and durable.

These objects and advantages as well as other objects and advantages may be achieved by the device shown by way of illustration of my invention in the drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a control and limiter circuit suitable for use with my remote control microphone;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of my remote control microphone;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the inner fixed tube thereof;

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the middle movable tube thereof; and

Figure 5 is an elevational view of the outer fixed tube thereof.

Referring now to the drawings in detail my remote control microphone provides a housing, base or pedestal 11, which is generally dome-shaped and contains the driving mechanism. A mounting plate 12 extends downwardly from the top of the pedestal. 'On this mounting plate a reversible motor 13 is attached by bolts 14, 14. The motor shaft 15 extends through the mounting plate 12 and rotates a gear 16 attached thereto. The end of the shaft 15 carries a pulley 17 which is not att hed to the shaft, but freely rotates thereon, irrespective of the movement of the shaft 15. The gear 16 engages another gear 18 which is mounted on a second shaft 19. The shaft 19 is rotatably mounted at one end on the mounting plate 12 and at the other end on another mounting plate 20. The shaft 19 carries a spool 21 upon which a lifting cable 22 is wrapped. A pair of normally closed limiting switches 23, 23 are mounted on the interior of the housing 11. These limiting switches have arms 24, 24 which ride the threads of the shaft 19. Each limiter switch is connected in series with one winding of the reversible motor 13 and is adjusted on the threaded shaft 19 so that when the entire cable is wound up, or the entire cable 22 is unwound, the switch will open the circuit by the movement of an arm 24 in cooperation with the threaded shaft 19 so as to stop 2,969,436 Patented Jan. 24, 1961 the reversible motor to prevent further movement of the spool. Then, the only way in which the motor can be turned on is to operate it in the opposite direction, for which the other limiting switch 23 is still normally closed; the motor 13 is thereby stopped when the cord 22 is either fully wrapped on the spool 21 or completely unwound from the spool 21, and the microphone 37 is fully extended or retracted.

An outer tube 25 is attached at its lower end to the pedestal 11 in a central top opening therein. An inner tube 26 is positioned within the outer tube 25. A collar 27 surrounds the lower end of the inner tube 26 and is attached thereto by the set screw 28. The screw 29 attaches the outer tube 25 to the collar 27. Inside of the inner tube 26 and protruding from its lower end there is attached a tubular sleeve 38 that serves as a guide for the cable 22. Mounted at the top of the inner tube 26, there is a pulley 29 on the axle 30.

A tubular middle tube 31 slidably surrounds the inner rod 26 and is positioned slidably inside the outer tube 25. The middle tube 31 has a keyWay or slot 32 to keep it from rotating within the outer tube 25. A key in the form of the screw 33 mounted on the outer tube 25 enters the keyway 32. The middle tube 31 is kept suspended in the outer tube 25 by the cable 22. The cable 22 is wound on the spool 21, passes over the pulley 17, up the inner tube 26, over the pulley 29, down outside the inner tube 26 and inside the middle tube 31, to the aperture 34 inthe middle rod 31. The cord 22 passes through this aperture 34 and is provided with a knot 35 at its end so that the middle tube 31 will remain suspended inside of the outer tube 25.

A double pole, double throw switch 36 with a neutral intermediate position is connected to the reversible motor 13. When the motor is energized to wind the cable 22 on the spool 21, the cable 22 lifts the middle tube '31, causing it to rise and carry the microphone 37 upwardly.

On the other hand, when the motor is reversed by throwing the switch to the opposite position, the cable 22 is unwrapped from the spool 21 and the middle tube 31 is lowered. The limiting switches 23, 23 are adjusted so that the riders or fingers 24, 24 will open one or the other of the respective motor circuits to prevent the cable from being wound or unwound from the spool 21 beyond the normally required limits of extension or retraction of the middle tube 31. The Switch 36 is provided with a neutral position so that the operation of the motor 13 may be stayed at the proper point of elevation of the microphone 37. By virtue of the use of this remote control microphone, an experienced monitor can adjust the exact position of the microphone for each person, without the one using the microphone struggling with an unfamiliar adjustment while attempting to address the microphone.

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodiment of the invention. The component parts have been shown and described. They each may have substitutes which may perform a substantially similar function; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutes for the said components and may have actually been known or invented before the present invention; these substitutes are contemplated as being within the scope of the appended claims, although they are not specifically catalogued herein.

I claim:

1. A microphone stand comprising three concentric tubes, 2. cable attached at one end to the lower portion of the middle tube and passing over the top of and down through the inner tube, means for winding and unwinding the cable, driving means for said means, a micro phone mounted on the middle tube, the inner and outer 3 tubes secured against movement with respect to each diht H ,7 t. a

2. A microphone stand comprising three concentric tubes, a cable attached at one end to thelower portion the rnidd le tnb ndpassingovertheltopof anddown ugh thednner tube, meansfo r winding and 'unwindi ng tlie cable, driving irneans forj said means, a microphone mounted on the middle-tube.

:3. A, microphone/stand comprising three concentric tubes, a cable'attaclied atone end to 'the' lowerfportion ofthe middletube ad passing over the top of and down through theginnertube, means for winding and unwinding the cable, diivingmeans for said means, a microphone mounted on the middle tube, a base connected to the outer inseam enclosing the means for winding and unwinding the driving means.

4. TA microphone stand comprising three concentric tubes, alcable attached at one end to the lower portion of the middle tube and passing over the top of and down through the inner Qtube, means for winding and unwinding the cable, driving means for said means, a microphone mounted on themi ddle tube, a keyway slot in themiddletube, a key attached to the outer tube and slid-ably positioned in the keyway.

5. A microphone stand comprising a base, three cncentric tubesQthe outer tube attached to the base, the inner tube attached to the outer tube, the middle tube slidahlebetween the outer and inner tubes, a reversible ,electricmotor in the base, a spool connected for rotation to the motor, reversing switch means connected to the motor, a cable attached at one end to the spool and at the other end to the bottom portion of the' middle tube, a pulley at the top of the inner tube, the cable intermediate of its said ends passed up inside the inner tube over the pulley and down outside the inner tube.

6. A microphone stand comprising a base, three concentric tubes, the outer tube attached to the base, the inner tube attached to-th'e outer tube, the middle tube slid-able between the outer :and inner tubes, a reversible electric motor in the base, a spool connected for rotation to the motor, reversing switch means connected-to the motor, a cable attached at one endvto the -spool and at the other end to the bottom p ortion ofthe'middle tube, a pulley at the top oftheinner tube, the cable intermediate of its said ends passed up inside the inner tube over the pulley and down outside the inner tube, a threaded shaft operably connected to the motor, normally closed limit switches operably connected to thethreaded shaft, each limit switch connected in series with avline supplying current to operate the'reversible motor in one direction, each limit switch adjusted with respect to :the threaded shaft to open the circuit when the middle tube has reached the limit of its movement in either direction.

References Cited in the file of'this-patent UNITED STATES PATENTS- 688,142 White Dec. 3, 19m 2,100,763 Gerlach Mar, s, 1938 2,288,822. McCarron July 7, 1942 

